Gandhinagar: Monday marked the completion of 15 years of EMRI 108 service. As of August 28, 108 services attended 8.28 lakh calls this year, which makes the average 24 calls every 10 minutes.

The COO of EMRI Gujarat, Mr. Jashvant Prajapati, told the press that effective calls have increased to 70%. These calls are those where an action – be it counselling or a dispatch of an ambulance happens. The rest 30%, include inquiry, irrelevant talks, or harassment.

108 emergency service completes 15 years ; Then Chief Minister Narendrabhai Modi had launched this crucial service in August 2007 https://t.co/4aOPfgzlNN pic.twitter.com/llTrJZpW5F

— DeshGujarat (@DeshGujarat) August 30, 2022

He also informed, “among all the states where EMRI ambulances are active. Gujarat holds the top place in ratio of effective calls. The average response time of 19 minutes and the six trips per ambulance is also the highest among the states,” he added.

As per the data, 108 services received 1.36 crore calls since its establishment, out of these 34.5% of the calls/dispatch were for pregnancy cases. It was followed by vehicular accidents, stomach aches, and non-vehicular trauma. EMRI 108 service now has boats and airplanes for attending emergencies.

Ahmedabad ranked number one in overall calls, and urban areas had comparatively higher calls. According to the officials, the reason for this may be a better hospital network and more instances. The data also showed that there were 1.82 lakh downloads of 108 mobile App.

An official informed that with 112 replacing 108 as an all-purpose (medical, fire, and police) emergency number, seven districts in Gujarat have already rolled out this unified number and the rest will follow.

In 2007, then Chief minister Narendra Modi launched these services in Gujarat on 29 August 2007. Later while inaugurating an 108 emergency medical service centre at Kathawada near Ahmedabad Narendra Modi said that Gujarat has turned around its status in emergency medical services which was in a neglected state a decade back by bringing qualitative and grass-rooted changes in it. With a state-wide 108 emergency medical response network, Gujarat has exemplified itself in providing free-of-cost, selfless and reliable emergency services.

Shri Modi said that 108 service also faced political resistance initially but with a high-tech centre and prompt services it has answered such hurdling entities. He also mentioned instances where 108 service saved many lives during Ahmedabad bomb blasts. He also met some of beneficiaries whose life could be survived due to 108 services.

DeshGujarat